This invention relates to photographic cameras having a diaphragm-setting scanning mechanism with autofocus mechanism, and, more particularly, to improvements in photographic cameras of the type wherein actuation of the diaphragm-setting scanning and autofocus mechanism is deferred pending completion of the detection of a camera-to-object distance when the camera is set for operation in daylight and wherein the camera objective and the diaphragm mechanism are set in a pan-focus condition automatically when the exposures are made in flash light.
Cameras having a diaphragm-setting scanning mechanism associated with an exposure meter are known. The exposure meter has a pointer deflected to a position dependent upon the brightness level of an object to be photographed. When a shutter release button is depressed to a first stroke, the deflected pointer is clamped, and the position of the clamped pointer is scanned with the scanning result being introduced into the diaphragm mechanism of the camera. After that, the shutter of the camera is released.
On the other hand, automatic focus adjusting devices for still cameras which employ photoelectric elements of slow light response characteristics as a distance detector require a considerably long time interval from the moment at which the camera release has been actuated to the moment at which the shutter is released.
The incorporation of such automatic focus adjusting device in the aforesaid type of camera will, therefore, lead to a high possibility of failing a correct exposure setting as the prevailing lighting conditions rapidly change in intensity after the camera release is actuated, since the deflected pointer of the exposure meter is made to be clamped at the first stroke of the shutter button.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera having a diaphragm-setting scanning mechanism associated with an exposure meter and having incorporated therein an automatic focus adjusting device while still permitting assurance of an exposure setting .[.eccurately.]. .Iadd.accurately .Iaddend.corresponding to the prevailing lighting conditions.
To achieve this, the present invention contemplates the use of a control mechanism for deferring actuation of the scanning and autofocus mechanisms pending completion of the distance measurement by a photoelectric detector which is actuated when a camera release is actuated.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, when the light value sensed by the exposure meter is beyond the lower limit of a dynamic range of the distance detector, the camera may be set to the flash mode where the photo-taking lens and the diaphragm mechanism are moved to a pan-focus condition in automatic response to actuation of the camera release.